Tuners who play

[William Maxim]

Jeff:

You wrote:
>    I too can be 'hooked' by a quality instrument. Last week I had
a tuning
>for a concert... and the Events Center had just taken delivery of
a new
> 7-ft
>piano. Wheeee! After the tuning the piano required about 90
minutes of
>'testing'... just to make sure it was in tune. Know what I mean???
>
Yes, I do know what you mean.  I am waiting for the first person to
say, "Whoa, you're going to knock that piano out of tune."

An added advantage to playing (play both pieces and a chord
sequence that covers every note on the piano and most several
times).  The added benefit is that things will show up in playing
that do not show up while I am tuning.

1.  A non-player will have to remember to check a list of things
such as whether the damper pedal works.  I've had service calls to
correct a damper trap dowel out of place after a store technician
had removed a console action for a repair.  He obviously didn't
check by playing the piano afterward.  Playing the piano is like an
automatic checklist.

2.  The momentum with which I strike keys in tuning will often mask
sluggishness problems that the customer has also not been aware of.
 The softer touch of playing makes tendency to stick more obvious.

3.  I have often caught blocking let-offs in playing the piano that
were right on the borderline, not causing any problem on a tuning
blow, but hanging up just enough to either block or cause a "ting"
on a soft blow.

I am surprised this thread hung on so long; I have just gotten back
from the North Carolina PTG conference and am trying to catch up on
email.  One of the instructors mentioned this thread in a
regulating class.

Bill Maxim, RPT
Serving South Carolina from Greer and Columbia
Satisfying discriminating musicians since 1955